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Tundranis
The Tundranis Chapter's history is stained with the blood of their enemies as well as the blood of their own. The chapter was descended from the White Scars, which they were surprisingly proud of. They crusaded in the north-west of the Ultima Segmentum, near the border of the Segmentum Obscurus, hunting xenos on ice planets. In 841.M41, they lost multiple companies in a battle with orks, who fell to Chaos and hunted down their brothers. History As some point in M37, the chapter was founded with experimental gene-seed manipulation, a mix between the White Scars and the inhabitants of an Ice World called Tundraana. The people of Tundraana had adapted to its tough conditions, their skin becoming pale and their bodies becoming warmer. The astartes of this gene-stock were excellent winter hunters, but struggled to survive in relatively warm climates. Their ships were cold and they rarely tried to fight on hive worlds or death worlds because of their condition. The earliest battle in the Tundranis Chapter's history was a victory. Their 3rd, 4th and 5th companies assaulted a Dark Eldar webway gate, bringing it down with relative ease. They scavenged the Eldar remains and found an amulet, a token of their victory. Upon their return they reformed its metal, turning the Drukhari's damage into aquilas and Tiger Paws. They were confronted multiple times by Inquisitors and the Adeptus Mechanicus, who though the amulet heretical, though the marines convinced them that it was from one of the Eldar's slaves, and was of human origin. The Frostblood Warriors In 841.M41, four companies of the Tundranis chapter battled an ork assault on the death world of Fractus. After a brutal spearhead, the orks were pushed back into the mountain's cave systems. Eager to deliver the finishing blow, the most of the marines pursued, only to be blocked in by a landslide caused by ork explosives. The squads on the outside were unable to move the rocks and scanned the planet, but were unable to find any heat sources and gave up, mourning the death of their brothers. Years later, the chapter, now known as the Snow Tigers, found themselves constantly being followed by destruction. Eventually, they were told that these 'Frostblood Warriors' were their lost brothers. They went to confront them, outnumbering them easily. Their Chapter Master, Prathul Hane, apologised to the Warband's leader for abandoning them before bowing his head in respect. The Warlord remorselessly beheaded and a great battle ensued. Though they had superior firepower and numbers, the Tigers were slaughtered. The rest of the fleet retreated, but were boarded and destroyed, leaving only a handful of marines in Deathwatch or with Inquisitors. After nearly a century, two marines remain, Manius Psykos, a Kill-Marine of the Deathwatch, and Lost Tiger, a renegade mercenary sometimes found with Inquisitors. Organisation & Tactics Units & Detachments The Tundranis Chapter is a Non-Codex Chapter as they have some specialist ranks, unit types and company organisation. * Captain = Great Hunter * Librarian = Tome-Keeper * Chaplain = Tiger-Chaplain * Tactical Squad = Hunter Squad * Assault/Biker Squad = Claw Squad * Devastator = Stripe-Hunter Squad * Scout Squad = Young-Fang Squad * Centurion = Stripe/Claw-Goliath * Veteran Squad = Old Stripe/Claw * Command Squad = Hunter's Guard Each company would be organised like this, and would almost always be sent in full force. The 10th company was not made up of scouts, like it was written in the Codex Astartes. Instead, there were ten scout squad in each company, allowing them to better learn the chapter’s way of war. Great Hunters, Tome-Keepers and Tiger-Chaplains would join a squad of the Hunter’s Guard and fight at the forefront of attacks. Note that Tome-Keepers are assigned to specific companies, rather than going whenever necessary. If a company wouldn’t be enough to achieve victory, other squads would join them in the form of Hunter-Auxiliary detachments. Tactics The marines were very efficient when hunting on Ice Worlds, a trait sought out by Inquisitors and Planetary Governors, and their preferred tactics reflected this. Small groups were usually sent out ahead of the mission, to scout out the surrounding areas and gather information about the enemy. These squads, often made up of Young-Fangs and Hunters, would also use fear to weaken their targets before the rest of the forces moved in. Hunter squads would fire at specific members of their foes’ squads, mainly leader or special weapon experts, before advancing with a larger volley of fire. Claw squads would fire as they approached their enemy, either by jump pack or by bike, before ramming into them and retreating to cover. Unlike the devastators of other chapters, Stripe-Hunters would be on the front lines, if not even closer to the enemy. The members of the Tundranis Chapter believed that the great firepower of heavy weapons were best used at the front of their spearheads, forcing their targets into cover before the Claws descended on them. Unique Units Sometimes the chapter would field unique units to combat certain foes. They would usually have strange choices of weapons or equipment that would take advantage of their enemies weaknesses. Leaper-Fangs Leaper-Fangs were Claws who used dual bolt pistols and modified jump packs, akin to the Destroyers of the Space Marine Legions. They were used most often out of the unique units used by the chapter. The most notable use of these squads was the assault on an Ork Rokk, where they tore through the orks' weak armour with their pistols, and tore through the Rokk's weak hull with their melta bombs. Fang-Duelist Fang-Duelists were veterans, usually Old Claws, who would seek out the enemies leaders and engage them in close combat. They would wield broadswords, duelling their opponents in small squads, usually to the death. Tundra Runners Tundra runners were very rarely utilised due to the risks involved. They wore scout armour and wielded plasma guns, running to the front lines and blasting through the enemies. These squads were only used against heavy infantry or vehicles such as Chaos Space Marines and Tau. Fire-Eyes Fire-Eyes were assault units occasionally used against weak, infantry-heavy enemies. They were made up of veterans with flamers who would be escorted by other squads until they reached their targets and unleashed their flames. Recruitment The recruits of the Tundranis Chapter were put through many though trials to prove themselves as expert hunters. The test, known as 'The Trial of the Hunter's Heart', had three stages which tested different aspects of the recruit's liability of becoming a space marine. Stage One: Hunter's Perseverance The first stage of the trial pitted the aspirant against the elements, usually in a tundra. They were left in the wilderness by themselves for a week, forcing their survival instincts to kick in. All the while they would be observed by servo-skulls and would be judged by various sergeants. Stage Two: Tiger's Strength After the gruelling test of perseverance in the wilderness, the recruits were told (through servo-skull, to cement the feeling of loneliness) to hunt a beast larger than themselves and bring it to the top of a nearby hill. The test was controlled, and only one of the beasts is released, making them have to hunt for extended periods of time, while also maintaining their own food supply. Stage Three: And They Shall Know No Fear Finally, the aspirant is led to a cluster of abandoned buildings where they are told to stay for another week. During this period, members of the chapter would lurk in the shadows, red eyes staring at them. Some would dress as mythical creatures, leaving trails in the snow. When they had finished their guard, they would either be strong and ready to serve or broken and frail. Those who were brave enough to continue are sent to a crate containing their scout armour and their boltgun, where their journey as a space marine begins. Equipment The marines of the Tundranis Chapter were known for their brutality and hunting skills, and this was reflected in their choice of weaponry and equipment. Their tools were usually just modified versions of standard astartes weapons, but sometimes they made special types of weapons specific to them. Ranged Weapons While the chapter had a fair share of their own weapons, they also used others, most notably the GL70391. Rapid-Fire Meltagun These meltaguns had been specially crafted to provide deadly supporting fire to the chapter’s assaults. It, like its brothers, used blasts of thermal energy to shred through armour. However, the Rapid-Fire used a kind of cylinder which allowed the weapon to fire faster, while only slightly decreasing its destructive power. The rotation of the cylinder led to some issues, such as the weapon jolting violently as it rotated, even in the hands of a space marine. Some modifications were made to fix this problem, and finally it used an arm brace akin to the heavy flamer’s to stop the movement. Aisen-Pattern Missile Launcher The Aisen-Pattern Missile Launcher was a belt-fed missile launcher that was suspended from its user’s arm. Like the Rapid-Fire Meltagun, it used an arm brace to minimise recoil, however it was more apparent in the Aisen. Because of the belt-feeding mechanism, the weapon could only fire one type of missile per use, making it less versatile in Stripe-Hunter squads. The weapon got its name from Aisen Ganasae, a techmarine who used a similar concept, although he used his servo-arm to reload the weapon. Combi-Stalker While not a completely original weapon, the Combi-Stalker was made by the Tundranis Chapter for Young-Fangs and Hunters to provide long-range hunting capabilities as well as the power of the standard boltgun. Not much more could be said about this weapon, except that it had two magazine docks, so different ammunition could be given to each part of the gun. Melee Weapons Tiger-Fang Chainsword Most of the chainswords in the chapter’s armoury had been modified to suit the chapter’s aggressive methods of war. This was mainly done by removing part of the weapon’s shell, exposing more of the chain teeth, but could also include reinforcing the hilt or sometimes adding hidden blades at the end of the handle. These changes could also be applied to Eviscerators. Claw Power Swords These power swords were specially made with tooth-like shapes protruding from the main blade. These would increase the blade’s cutting power as well as assisting the wielder when blocking attacks. Miscellaneous Leaper-Fang Jump Pack Leaper-Fangs would use these modified jump packs when assaulting enemies. They would have one large thruster and two smaller ones that would adjust the user’s course mid-flight. Most would also include a rear-facing camera to help the Claw see any attackers from behind. Some would have belts to feed missile launchers, specifically the chapter’s Aisen-Pattern launchers. Beliefs The Tundranis Chapter's beliefs were strongly rooted in their style of fighting. They devoted themselves completely to the idea of the perfect hunter, often praising the Emperor, Jaghatai Khan and even other chapters such as the Space Wolves and the Raven Guard for their martial skill. That was the reason why tigers, who were seen by the chapter as one of the greatest predators, were so prominent in their traditions and insignia. They also saw the natural talent of a hunter as more important than mechanical augmentation, steering clear of chapters like the Iron Hands and rarely making contact with the Adeptus Mechanicus unless it was needed. Colours The chapter's colours matched the cold worlds that they fought on, white and blue. Their armour also featured stripes, each marking fifty years of service to the chapter, showing proudly on dreadnoughts and ancient vehicles. Category:Imperium Category:Space Marines Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:White Scars Successors Category:Unknown Founding